


American Traditional

by righteousbros



Series: Tattoo Shop 'Verse [6]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Blow Jobs, Established Relationship, Family Drama, Homophobia, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Drug Addiction, Switching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 10:17:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2577929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/righteousbros/pseuds/righteousbros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Timestamp in the Tattoo Shop Verse.  Jensen gets a call from his sister Mackenzie who invites him and Jared to her engagement party.  She convinces him to go, even though it will mean facing his parents and his estranged brother for the first time in many years.  There are a lot of hard feelings between Jensen and his family that are still unresolved and his decision to bring Jared along for moral support ends up causing even more issues.  Without intending to, Jensen finds himself at odds with practically everyone, including Jared.  It forces him to reconsider a few things, most importantly what the word family really means to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

It’s a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of May and all over Austin it’s so warm and sunny that it already feels like summer. College girls have switched from cold weather gear to skirts and shorts, trying to get some color on their winter-pale legs. Local farmers markets are bursting with the vibrant colors and fresh scents of an early harvest. And all over the city, diners are enjoying the alfresco spaces at their neighborhood restaurants, the warm spring air inviting them to linger for one more glass of wine. In a few weeks time the heat will climb and begin baking the Texas earth dry, but for the moment the weather is holding at just about perfect and its putting all of Austin in a particularly good mood.

Over at Skin Deep however, the atmosphere could best be described as somewhat more bittersweet. It’s the last day of Brandon’s internship at the shop and even though the crew has gotten used to students coming and going over the last two years, it’s always harder when they have to say goodbye to one of their favorites.

Jensen is at his usual spot behind the main desk, filling out the final paperwork for Brandon’s internship. Keeping up with all the bureaucratic requirements of the program was one of the downsides of their deal with the Art Institute of Austin but the pros definitely outweighed the cons. Having students like Brandon to provide them with free labor takes a lot of the little mundane daily tasks off of Jensen’s plate. In return, the students get internship credit towards their degrees and practical experience in how to making a living with their art. All in all, it’s a pretty sweet deal for everyone involved.

Getting the school-sponsored internship program established at Skin Deep had been Jensen’s idea but it had been inspired by Jared. Or more accurately by Osric; their first apprentice, who has become a fixture at the shop ever since Jared took him under his wing.

When Jared first introduced Osric into the shop it was with the intention of molding him from the kid he’d found painting a mural in a downtown parking lot into a tattoo artist. He did fine on the pork skin that Jared had him practice on, but being the sweet guy that he is Osric realized pretty quickly that he was never going to get past the idea of causing people pain. His unfortunate squeamishness aside, he was still a genuinely talented artist and he made himself an invaluable help to Jensen around the shop. For those reasons, Jared had kept him on and mentored him anyway, helping him put together a portfolio and apply to art school. Now almost two years later, Osric is getting ready to graduate soon with an associate’s degree in graphic design and Skin Deep has a steady stream of interns on waitlist for the privilege of being mentored by Jared, an artist at the top of his game.

At the moment, all the guys are hanging around waiting to see Brandon off; Chad, Misha, Osric, and Chris, who is busy getting his station setup for his next appointment. The only absentee is Steve. Ever since his daughter started first grade, Steve’s wife went back to work full time and he’s been pitching in by picking up the slack at home. He still comes in on Saturdays but the rest of his week is by special appointment only, and even then only during the hours when Jamie is at school. The rest of the guys tease him some for going from a fulltime tattoo artist and gigging musician to Mr. Mom, but he seems to take their good-natured ribbing in stride. Even though they miss having him around, it’s obvious to all that Steve is a happier guy now that he gets to spend more time with his kid.

Jensen is just finishing up the paperwork when the door chimes ring. He looks up to see who it is and he’s pleasantly surprised to see Danneel. She’s wearing a navy blue tie-dyed maxi dress and her hair is up in messy bun - effortlessly beautiful as always.

“Hey guys,” she says brightly, sending a little wave around the room to everyone. “How’s tricks?”

Misha, Chad, and Osric look up from where the three of them are clustered together around Misha’s laptop, each offering her a quick hello in reply. They’re currently occupied with eating Chinese food straight out of the cartons and watching Misha’s latest short film he’s been working on. It’s a gruesome horror flick about a transvestite Japanese school boy who wears a little plaid skirt and kills vampires in his spare time. Jensen hasn’t seen the most recent round of edits yet but he can’t imagine that it’s gotten any less disturbing than the last time Misha roped him into a screening session. He still has nightmares about it.

“Hey you,” Jensen says, getting up to greet Dani with a hug. He hasn’t been able to see her as much as he’d like lately and he’s missed having her around. “I didn’t know if I was going to see you today.”

“Are you kidding?” she huffs, taking a seat on the waiting area couch. “Any excuse to leave the house. I’m going stir-crazy, I swear.”

Chris quickly finishes up prepping and sterilizing his station and tosses away his latex gloves. He comes over to join them with his hands on his hips, a disapproving frown on his face aimed at Danneel. “Why didn’t you call me to come pick you up? You know I don’t like you driving right now.”

Danneel just rolls her eyes at him in annoyance. “See what I’m dealing with here?” she says to Jensen. “He’s impossible. I thought I was dating a musician and what I got was a mother hen.”

At nearly a full nine months pregnant, Danneel's been spending more time at home lately than at work, although certainly not by choice. If she had her way she’d still be pulling down a full schedule, but Chris threatened to stop supplying her with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups if she didn’t start taking it easy. The cravings ultimately won out over her pride. However, she’d made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t about to let her independence go quietly.

“Sorry,” Jensen tells her with a shrug. “I’ve got to agree with Chris on this one.” He gestures at the round swell of her belly. “You look like you’re about to pop any minute.”

Danneel narrows her eyes at him menacingly. “Traitor.”

“Don’t get mad at me!” Jensen throws his hands up in gesture of truce. He points an accusatory finger at Chris. “I wasn’t the one who knocked you up.”

Chris scowls back at him, clearly unamused but unable to dispute a hard fact.

“Better not have,” Jared says lightly, walking out of his office with uncanny timing.

Jensen doesn’t have to turn and look at him to see the smirk on his face, he can hear it in his voice clearly enough. “Ha ha,” he says dryly, hands on his hips. “What a comedian.”

“There he is,” Dani says, smiling at Jared. It morphs into a sneer the moment she turns her attention back to Jensen. “Your much better half.” She points her tongue out at him petulantly.

Jared comes over to them, bending down to plant a quick kiss on Dani’s cheek. “Hey Dani. Good to see you. You look great.”

“Kiss ass,” Chris grumbles under his breath.

“They’re ganging up on me,” Dani says to Jared with a dramatic pout. “Make them stop.”

Jared straightens up with confused expression on his face. “What’s going on?”

“Just the usual. She’s stubborn as a mule and she won’t listen to reason,” Chris explains with a long-suffering sigh. “She’s days away from giving birth and she’s still just brushing this thing off like it’s no big deal. We haven’t even picked out a damn name for it.”

Dani huffs at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. “I have two weeks til my due date. There’s plenty of time.”

“Yeah, there’s no way I’m getting caught in the crossfire here.” Jared backs away, moving to stand next Jensen. “I’m thinking the safe thing for me to do is to just stay out of it.”

“Wise decision,” Jensen laughs. “What did you do with Brandon?”

“He’s admiring himself in the mirror.”

Brandon walks out of Jared’s office with his t-shirt balled up in his hand and a huge grin on his face. “Hey y’all!” he says, coming to a stop in the middle of the shop floor. “Check it out!” He raises his left arm over his head and pivots to the side, proudly showing off the fresh tattoo on his ribs. Jared had given it to him as a going away present. Its a few lyrics from one of his favorite Bob Marley songs; _Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds._

The guys at Misha’s computer put the video on pause and crowd around Brandon admire it.

“Nice, man,” Osric says. “Did it hurt?”

“Like a bitch,” Brandon replies happily.

Chad just laughs at him and pats him on the back before returning to his food. Misha makes himself useful wrapping up Brandon’s side.

Chris seizes the opportunity while everyone is distracted to take a seat next to Danneel. She’s captive on the couch because she can’t stand up at this point without help. He takes her hand, linking her fingers with his. Jensen takes note that she doesn’t resist him. She even smiles a little.

“Hey, Jay,” Chris says, pulling Jared’s attention away from the neat job Misha is doing on Brandon’s bandage. “Think you could make some room in your schedule to do me next?”

“’Course, buddy. Anytime you want,” Jared tells him. “What do you have in mind?”

“Just some lettering. Right here.” Chris taps a spot over the left side of his chest, above his heart. “I want you to write our baby’s name.” He gives Dani’s had a little squeeze. “When we pick one, that is.”

Danneel looks up at him adoringly, all of her former orneriness gone. Her eyes well up with tears. “Chris,” she sniffles. “That’s perfect.”

Chris leans over and gives her a light kiss. When they part, they’re both smiling again.

“There it is. That’s what I like to see,” Jensen says, relieved that their little spat seems to be over for the moment at least.

Jared drapes his arm loosely across the back of Jensen’s shoulders. He doesn’t say anything but he doesn’t really have to. Jensen can feel their connection in the solid warmth of him against his side, the contact linking them as a little unit of their own. Jensen smiles to himself, amused at how much of a sentimental sap Jared can be without even realizing it.

Osric says something that makes Brandon crack up laughing. He’s in the midst of putting his t-shirt back on now that Misha has finished dressing his new tattoo when he gets stuck. One of his arms is through its normal sleeve but somehow he’s managed to get the other one snagged halfway through the neck opening.

Jared sighs, watching Osric trying to help him fix it. “Just think. This time next week we’ll be starting from scratch again with the summer intern. Are they getting younger or is it just me?”

“You can’t fool me,” Jensen teases at him, bumping him with his hip. “I know you like them young.”

“True,” Jared says, without missing a beat.

Jensen elbows him lightly. “Hey! You didn’t need to agree with me so fast. What, are you planning on trading me in for newer model?” He’s not really worried, but still. Brandon is kind of hot. Not that he’s noticed or anything.

“Are you kidding?” Jared says. He reels Jensen in closer to him with an arm around his neck. With his free hand, Jared traces a fingertip over the lines of ink that are peeking through the open vee of Jensen’s henley. “After all the man-hours I’ve put into marking you up so pretty?” he says, arching an eyebrow at Jensen coyly. “Not a chance.”

Jensen can’t help himself. He leans in and gives Jared a kiss. It’s tame by anyone’s standards, barely opened mouths pressed together in a brief exchange of affection. It’s an unspoken rule of theirs to try and keep the more blatant PDA’s out of the workplace. They’re the owners after all and they should be setting a good example. However there are times, like now for instance, when breaking that rule is just too hard to resist. It’s all Jared’s fault anyway, Jensen tells himself. He smells like he’s been using Jensen’s soap again and he knows that does terrible things to Jensen’s self-restraint.

Chad groans, setting aside his Chinese food container. “Jesus Christ, guys! Can you not get your gay all over the place? Some of us are trying to eat lunch here.”

Misha shakes his head at him. “Pay no attention to him,” he says to Jensen and Jared. “He’s just jealous.”

“I am not,” Chad tosses back indignantly.

“He’s upset because Sophia dumped him again,” Misha informs them, ignoring Chad’s mutinous glare.

“Is that true?” Jared asks, releasing Jensen as he turns to direct his question to Chad.

“She’s just been working some extra shifts at the hospital,” Chad says. “No biggie.” He tries to make it come across casual but he’s fooling no one. He’s been smitten with Sophia since they first met, even though they’ve broken up and gotten back together more times than anyone can count.

“And by that,” Danneel puts in, “he means she finally got tired of dating a guy with the maturity level of a twelve year old.”

“Hey, I’m plenty mature,” Chad objects.

Danneel just laughs at him.

“You wanna go there?” Chad scowls at her. “You want to talk about who the immature one around here is? Cause I’m thinking it’s the one who can’t remember to take her birth control.”

“Dude,” Chris says to him. “Easy.”

If looks could kill, Chad would be pushing up daisies judging from the look that Danneel gives him. “You take that back,” she hisses at him.

“Alright kids, break it up,” Jensen says, before it can escalate any further.  Danneel and Chad are both too stubborn to let the other one have the last word when they get to bickering with each other.  He’s seen it firsthand too many times and with Danneel’s hormones being what they are at the moment he’s slightly afraid for Chad’s safety.

“Hey y’all,” Brandon interrupts, calling for everyone’s attention. “I’m getting ready to head out now.”  He walks over to Jared and offers him a handshake. “Thanks so much for everything, man.”

“No problem,” Jared says. “Bart is going to be lucky to have you.”

“Bart?” Chris asks. “You mean Southside Tattoo, Bart?

“Jared scored me a real professional apprenticeship with him,” Brandon says, practically beaming. “I’m starting over there next week.”

“That’s great,” Misha says. “You’ll be able to learn a lot from him.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Jensen tells him.

“I won’t,” Brandon promises. He makes the rounds to each of them individually as he says his goodbyes with a quick hug or a firm handshake. Then with one last wave to everyone, he’s out the door and the shop feels just a little bit emptier.

“They grow up so fast,” Chad says with a sigh.

Jensen rolls his eyes and is about to comment on that when he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket.  He pulls it out and is surprised to see his sister’s number on the screen.  Aside from the birthday card she sent him a couple of months ago he hasn’t heard from her since Christmas. They haven’t talked all that much over the years since he dropped out of college and landed in rehab, not anywhere near as much as they used to anyway. Still, she’s the one member of his family who actually bothers to contact him at all anymore. Jensen escapes into the kitchenette where it’s a little quieter to take the call.

“Mack?”

“ _Jensen, hi!_ ” she says excitedly. “ _How are you?_ ”

“I’m okay…” Jensen’s not under any illusions that Mack called him out of the blue just to shoot the shit. She’s clearly got some news she’s anxious to share. “So what’s up?”

“ _I’m engaged!_ ” she squealed. “ _Can you believe it?_ ”

Jensen is stunned for a moment, so much so that he can’t think of how to respond. In the last ten years since he left their hometown for Austin he’s seen his sister face-to-face only a handful of times, the last occasion being the day she graduated from Southern Methodist University. He’s seen her grow from a bubbly blonde teenage girl into a woman mostly just through her Facebook pictures. Now she’s getting married?

_“Jensen? Say something.”_

“Sorry,” he says, shaking his head a little to clear the cobwebs from it. “My brain is just taking a while to buffer here. That’s… Wow. I mean, congratulations. I’m really really happy for you, Mack.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” she says, sounding relieved.

Jensen leans against the kitchenette fridge, racking his brain trying to remember her boyfriend’s name. Man, he is a shit brother. “I hope you and…Will? It’s Will, right?”

“ _Yes, Will_ ,” Mack says, clearly amused at his awkwardness.

“That you and Will,” Jensen continues, “will be very happy together.” He’s at a loss for what else to say. They haven’t been in each other’s lives much lately but he’s always had a special fondness for Mack. Hearing that she’s about to be married is making him think about all the time they’ve missed and all the distance that’s grown between them. He regrets all the times he could have met her halfway over the years and didn’t.

“ _Thanks, Jensen,_ ” she says. “ _I’m glad to hear you say that._ ” She clears her throat and when she speaks again her tone has changed, more subdued and more serious. “ _The other reason I called was because I wanted to invite you to my engagement party. I figured it’d be harder for you to turn me down over the phone than if I just sent a card in the mail. Was I right?_ ”

Jensen’s got to give her credit for her tactics. They are certainly effective. The guilt he’s feeling just gets compounded even further. “Mack…I don’t know.”

“ _Please_ ,” she says to him. “ _It would mean so much to me to have you there. The wedding isn’t until February – Valentine’s Day, and I don’t want to wait that long until I get to see you again. I just know that day is going to be insane and I won’t get to spend nearly enough time with you. You’ll probably sneak in the back of the room somewhere, watch the ceremony, and sneak out again before anyone gets a chance to talk to you_.”

She’s got him there. Jensen hadn’t even known about this wedding for more than a few minutes and he had already begun planning that exact scenario for when the day finally came. Whenever he was forced into a situation like this where he’d be attending an Ackles family event he tried to treat them like a Special Ops mission. He wanted be in and out with as much stealth as he could manage within the absolute minimum amount of time that it took to fulfill his objectives. No one but his sister would even have to know he was there. Now Mack was throwing a wrench into his plans and he doesn’t like the idea of it at all.

“ _I want you to meet Will_ ,” she pressed on. “ _Have a beer with him or something and get the chance to actually know him. And I want to finally meet Jared.”_

That throws him for a loop. No one in his family has met Jared, or any other guy that he’s dated for that matter. He’s pretty sure that Mack is the only who even knows about Jared. Jensen’s not sure how his parents would respond to seeing him again after all these years; their bisexual, former drug addict, and all-around black sheep of a son. There’s no telling how they’ll handle meeting said son’s live-in lover.  He can’t imagine it going any way but bad.

“Listen, don’t get me wrong, Mack,” Jensen says, feeling awful that he’s going to have to disappoint her on this. “I want all those things too. I really do. I just think it would be better for everyone if-“

“ _I know what you’re going to say and you’re wrong_ ,” Mack says, cutting him off. “ _It wouldn’t be better if you didn’t come. It would be easier, but that’s not the same thing. I know this is a big ask, but when Will and I get married it’s going to be the most important day of my life. I don’t want to spend it worrying about whether or not you and Dad can handle being in the same room. I think it’s better to break the ice now while there’s still plenty of time for everyone to get adjusted to the idea._ ”

As much as Jensen wants to do whatever he can to make her happy, he doesn’t think that there’s much hope for the rest of his family – especially his Dad, to get used to the idea of him and Jared. “I’m sorry. I just don’t think that it’s going to do anyone any good for us to show up there. I don’t want my problems with the family to take away from your day.”

“ _Jensen, you’re my brother. Your problems are my problems,_ ” Mack counters. “ _I know things have been…strained. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care._ ”

Jensen feels a lump take form in his throat. It’s been a long time since they’ve been this open with each other. “I know. Thanks, Mack.”

“ _I want things to change_ ,” she tells him earnestly. “ _I want to make them better. Don’t you?_ ”

“Yeah, I do,” Jensen concedes. As much as he’d like to think that he’s past the point where he cares what his parents think of him, he knows deep down that he isn’t. He’d like for them to see what he’s made of himself and to be proud of him. And it would be really nice to be able to go visit Mack or have her come and see him in Austin without feeling like they had to do it behind their parent’s backs.

“ _I think Josh would really like to see you too_ ,” Mack adds carefully.

Jensen tenses, feeling his hackles start to rise just from the mention of that name. “I seriously doubt that.”

Their big brother Josh.  Aside from their parents, he was the other major reason that Jensen hadn’t been back to Richardson. The last time he’d seen his older brother had been a few months after Jensen had gotten out of rehab. Josh had been the one to shell out the cash for his treatment – both times. Somehow that seemed to give his brother the idea that he had purchased the right to tell Jensen how to live his life when he got back out in the world. Jensen, of course, had a very different opinion on the subject. They fought constantly about it, even after Jensen had left for Austin in the effort to start his new life with a clean slate. The last time they’d talked on the phone Josh had hung up on him, but not until after he’d made it clear that he was washing his hands of Jensen entirely. That had been over five years ago and they hadn’t spoken since.

“ _He does, Jensen. I know he does_ ,” Mack insists. “ _He just doesn’t know how to take the first step_.”

“So you want me to?” Jensen asks incredulously. “Why should I?”

“ _You owe him_.”

“I paid him back every goddamn cent of what I owed him!” Jensen says, close to shouting he’s so exasperated with the subject. He glances down the hall, checking to make sure no one overheard him raising his voice. Thankfully the drone of Chris’s tattoo machine seems to have drowned it out. His client must have finally shown up.

“ _This isn’t about the money_.” Mack takes a deep breath, deep enough that Jensen can hear her frustration through the phone. “ _If he hadn’t dragged you kicking and screaming to rehab in the first place you never would have faced up to the fact that you needed help and you know it. If you ask me, I think you owe it to him and you owe it to yourself to give things between you two another chance._ ”

Jensen falls silent, still fuming. He doesn’t really want to admit it but part of him knows that Mack is right. If Josh hadn’t stepped in after their parents had all but disowned him he’d probably be dead by now.  Mack had been too young at the time to be of any real help and their parents had kept her sheltered from the worst of it.  Jensen had been in near constant haze of prescription painkillers, floating through his days like a zombie when he wasn’t passed out asleep.  He didn’t want to die but he was having a hard time living with his parent’s rejection.  He’d come out to them as bisexual and initially they’d written it off as a phase.  When he made it clear to them that his attraction to men wasn’t something that they could just pray away, they’d reacted with outright disgust and disdain.  Josh hadn’t exactly welcomed the news either, but he’d at least been able to rise above his own feelings on the matter when he realized how self-destructive Jensen had become.  For that reason alone, Jensen decides to take Mack’s advice and give his brother the benefit of the doubt.

“So when is thing anyway?” Jensen asks, sighing wearily.  He knows when he’s been beaten and his sister’s little guilt trip has certainly done the trick.

“ _This weekend…_ ” she responds, an apology in her tone.

“This weekend?! Are you freaking kidding me?” Jensen feels trapped. Truth be told, he doesn’t have any specific plans other than lying in bed for as long as Jared will let him.  But that’s hardly the point.  He would have liked at least a little more time to gear himself up for this. “You want me to just drop everything-“

“ _And Jared_ ,” Mack is quick to remind him.

“You want Jared and I,” Jensen corrects himself through clenched teeth,” to drop everything and drive up there this weekend?”

“ _I was afraid that if I gave you too much time to think about it that you’d chicken out!_ ” Mack says defensively.

“Jesus Christ, Mack.” Jensen takes a seat at the kitchenette’s little table set, leaning his elbows on its well-worn, graffiti-covered surface. He can feel a pounding headache coming on.

“ _Please, Jensen_ ,” she begs. “ _I already reserved a room for you and Jared at the Grand so you’ll have a place to stay. All you have to do is show up._ ”

Jensen rubs at his temple trying to massage the tension away. “You’re making it really hard for me to say no.”

“ _That was the plan. So does that mean you’ll come?_ ” she asks, sounding cautiously optimistic.

Jensen closes his eyes, sending up a silent prayer for patience.  He’s already starting to feel like he’s going to regret this but he wants very much to believe that Mack is right.  Maybe the years of absence from his family have worn them down and now they’ll be willing to actually listen to him with a more open frame of mind.  He’ll never know for sure if he doesn’t at least try.

“I have to talk to Jared about it,” he begins. That’s about as far as he gets before Mack interrupts him with an excited squeal.

“ _You’re the best! Thank you so much!_ ” she exclaims. “ _You’ll see, Jen. It will all work itself out just fine_.”

By the time he hangs up with her, Jensen is already hunting through the drawers in the kitchenette for their aspirin bottle.  He finds it and pops two before he shoves his phone back in his pocket and heads back out towards the front of the shop.  He’s got to find Jared and explain why they’re going to need Osric to watch the dogs this weekend.  He just hopes that Jared is in an understanding mood.

This has all the potential to be the engagement party/family reunion from Hell, but at least with Jared and Mack on his side he won’t have to go through it alone.  It’s pretty much the only thing that’s keeping him from completely freaking out at the moment.  Hopefully, it will be enough to carry him through the next few days as well.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The whole rest of the week since Mackenzie’s call seemed to fly by without Jensen’s permission. With both he and Jared taking off for the whole weekend there was some negotiating that had to be done at work. A few of Jared’s clients had to be rescheduled and Chad had to be convinced to come in on his day off which was like trying to get blood from a stone. Somehow Jensen managed to do it without throttling the guy but it was a near thing. Thankfully Osric didn’t need any convincing to dog sit for them. He’s just as head over heels for Harley and Sadie as they are for him. Even so, Jared is such a neurotic pet parent that he left a two page list of instructions for the kid to follow. Jensen’s pretty sure that Harley doesn’t actually care if his food is room temperature or not. He’s seen the big slobbery beast snatch a live bee right out of the air when the thing was in mid-flight and swallow it down like it was made of bacon.  
  
The drive itself from Austin to Richardson was only about three and a half hours but to Jensen it was over much too quickly. At the moment, he’s sitting in his car parked in his parent’s driveway wondering what he’d ever done to his sister that she’d subject him to this kind of torture. Normally he likes to be the one calling the shots, controlling the pace of his life and his decisions as it suits him. His kneejerk response to any change that he’s not ready for is to bolt, but it’s a habit that he’s been working hard to break. Being with Jared has taught him that sometimes change, even when it comes unplanned, is worth the risk. Right now he’s trying very hard to remind himself of that fact but it doesn’t seem to be getting his death-grip on the steering wheel to loosen up any.  
  
Of course Jared is being absolutely no help at all. From the very beginning he was annoyingly okay with having this last minute trip thrust into his lap. He’s in full support of Mack’s crazy misguided notion that it would somehow be good for Jensen to spend time with his family. And what’s worse, Jared thinks he should _communicate his feelings_ to them. So much for loyalty.  
  
“Jensen?”  
  
Jensen hears Jared talking to him but his mind is elsewhere. He’s staring straight ahead of them at the place he grew up in, swamped in memories that seem to be coming at him from every angle. The house is a mini-mansion by most standards but for the upscale North Dallas neighborhood it’s actually fairly average. Its stately stone façade and well-manicured lawn mask the fact that inside it’s more like a high-end interior design showroom than a home. A beautiful space completely devoid of warmth where you’re not allowed to touch anything. Jensen hasn’t felt like he’s been welcome there in a long time - maybe never. He’s half expecting for an alarm to start blaring any minute, alerting everyone within earshot that they’ve got a trespasser in their midst.  
  
Jared breaks his concentration by resting a hand on his thigh. “You know you have to get out of the car, right?”  
  
“If we leave now I can get us to the hotel and have you naked in less than forty-five minutes,” Jensen counter-offers. He doesn’t think Jared will actually take him up on it but he figures it’s worth a shot.  
  
“As good as that sounds, I think this is slightly more important. Come on.” Jared gets out of the car, stretching the kinks out of his back with a soft grunt.  
  
Jensen sighs, knowing he has no choice now but to get out too. His mom probably heard Jared’s car door shut and is watching them from behind the living room curtains right about now. He’s been dreading this moment since they left Austin, anxiety causing tectonic tremors in his chest. He wants this to go well; he really does, for his own sake as well as for Jared’s. Together they make their way to the front door but before Jensen can even ring the bell his mother swings it open.  
  
She locks eyes with him on a quiet gasp and for a brief moment neither of them speaks. Jensen didn’t know exactly how he was going to feel seeing her again after all these years apart but he didn’t expect this. It’s one thing to know that how she treated him then was wrong. His therapist in rehab had even gotten him to admit that out loud once, after around eighty-nine days of prodding. But it’s an entirely different thing to try and remember that fact now. He just can’t seem to summon the resentment towards her that he damn well knows he’s entitled to. When she looks at him with tears welling in her blue-gray eyes it’s like he’s been transported. The years seem to melt away and in that moment he’s that little eight year old boy again who would gladly turn himself inside out if it would make her proud of him.  
  
“Hey Mom,” he says, soft and unsure.  
  
It seems to break her out of that initial moment of shock and with a something close to a sob she reaches out and yanks him down into a hug. It’s so uncharacteristic of the eternally poised and collected woman he knew that Jensen freezes, completely caught off guard. The touch-starved little boy inside of him is on the verge of breaking down and weeping. He can count the number of times that she’s hugged him on one hand. It takes a second for him to overcome his surprise and actually hug her back. She smells like Shalimar and gardenias, and the familiarity of that comforts him a little.  
  
When she pulls back, blinking away her tears, Jensen takes stock of the differences he sees in her. She looks thinner than he remembered and her hair is shorter, the long blonde tresses replaced by soft waves that frame her face. Her features are sharper too, the fine lines around her mouth and the corners of her eyes have deepened some but she seems to be wearing her age elegantly. He wonders to himself what else about her might have changed and a small neglected part of him opens itself up to hope.  
  
“I can hardly believe you’re here,” she says, gripping his shoulders like she’s trying to convince herself he’s not a dream. The thin fingers of her right hand reach up to cradle his cheek. He can’t help his eyes from closing for a second as he tilts his head into the caress. His whole life he’s craved her affection, he’s not about to take it for granted now that she seems willing to give it.  
  
She frowns slightly at the dense growth of stubble on his face. “A beard, J.R.? Really?”  
  
He wants to cringe at the old nickname. No one ever calls him that but her. For some reason that little frown and the subtle tone disapproval still have enough power over him to make him feel guilty about not shaving that morning. It’s not really a beard, just a few days worth of scruff he’s gotten into the habit of keeping around because Jared likes how it tickles. She couldn’t know that’s the reason for it but it makes him feel a little embarrassed anyway. “Sorry,” he says, not really knowing why he’s apologizing.  
  
She hums to herself, not giving her feelings on the matter away any more than that. Then she stands back, holding him at arm’s length. “Let me get a proper look at you.” She looks him over him with a critical eye and it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to hone in on the inch or so of tattooed skin left exposed on his right wrist. “What’s this?” she exclaims, grabbing his arm and holding it up to get a better look at it.  
  
“It’s a tattoo, Mom.” Jensen says, caught between his instinct to shrink away from her grasp and his own pride which is forcing him to stand his ground. He’d worn a light chambray button-up shirt that day with long-sleeves, telling himself that he wasn’t doing it to hide anything exactly. He just wanted to look presentable for when he saw his family and not make any more waves than necessary. Nothing wrong with that, right? So then why does he feel like he did that time he used crayons on the livingroom wallpaper?  
  
His mother yanks the sleeve of his shirt up, exposing more of the tattoo and she lets out a gasp. “Oh my lord! What have you done to yourself?”  
  
Fortunately he’s saved from having to think of a response to that when Jared finally speaks up and does it for him. “Excuse me, but I did that actually,” he says matter-of-factly. “Personally speaking, I think it’s some of my proudest work.”  
  
Jensen looks over at him, a little ashamed of himself. He’d gotten so carried away in the moment with his mother that he’d almost forgotten Jared was even standing there. Jared seems to understand however, going as far to send him a tiny smile of reassurance.  
  
Jensen’s mother on the other hand glances up at Jared as if he was a six and a half foot bug that just appeared on her doorstep. She releases Jensen’s arm and takes a step back, visibly closing in on herself. “And who may I ask are you?” she asks icily.  
  
Jensen scrambles to smooth over her ruffled feathers. This is not how he wanted Jared’s first introduction to his family to go. “I’m sorry. I’m forgetting my manners, aren’t I?” He quickly yanks his sleeve back down and puts a hand on Jared’s shoulder, pulling him a step closer. “Mom, this is Jared. Jared, I’d like you to meet my mother, Donna Ackles.”  
  
Jared extends his hand to her with a friendly smile. “Nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Ackles.”  
  
She shakes his hand because decorum dictates it, but her eyes are still guarded and wary. She glances from his long hair to the tattoo of Harley and Sadie’s pawprints that is peeking out from the collar of his plaid cotton shirt with barely disguised disdain. “Yes. Well, Jared, are you a…friend…of J.R’s?”  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jared says, ever the respectful Southern boy his momma raised him to be. “I’ve known your son for going on ten years now.”  
  
“Jared is my partner,” Jensen clarifies, clearing his throat awkwardly. The word _boyfriend_ seems to stick in his throat too uncomfortably to come out. It’s not a word they really use with one another anyway. They’re grown men after all. Besides, it never seemed to cover everything that Jared is to him.  
  
“Oh,” Donna replies, folding her arms in front of her, her body language making clear what her too-polite words don’t. “So you work together then?”  
  
Whether or not she’s being intentionally obtuse about his meaning of the word _partner_ Jensen’s not sure, but he didn’t come here to sail through this weekend on a convenient lie of omission. He owes it to Jared and their history together to be upfront with her about him.  
  
“We do,” he says, because that part is true enough. “Jared and I own a business together but that’s not all.” He looks his mother square in the eye, praying that she’ll accept what he says next as best she can. “We’ve been living together for the past two years or so now. Since about six months after we started dating.”  
  
Donna stiffens almost imperceptibly. She’s too well-bred to show her true feelings in the presence of a stranger but even after all these years Jensen is still too attuned to her moods to miss it. He can tell that she’s silently judging them both and it hurts him to think that she’s going to discount Jared and their relationship together without at least giving him a chance. He can’t help but feel ashamed, remembering how Jared’s mom had greeted him with open arms and a smacking kiss on the cheek. She’d dragged him by the hand into her kitchen and began shoving plates of food at him like he was one of her own sons. To him, the differences between Sherri Padalecki’s immediate acceptance of him and the way his own mother was reacting to Jared couldn’t be more glaring.  
  
“Of course,” Donna responds in a measured tone. “Mackenzie mentioned that you would be bringing a guest.” She forces a polite smile. “Welcome to our home, Jared. Won’t you come in?”  
  
“Thank you, Mrs. Ackles,” Jared replies, as she turns to lead them both inside. He shares a brief look with Jensen that says ‘ _see? It’s going to be okay’_ before he follows her in.    
  
Jensen closes the door behind him and follows them into the living room, wishing he could be so blindly optimistic about things but unfortunately he knows better. For a moment there he thought there was at least a glimmer of hope that she’d changed but now he’s not so sure. It might have just been wishful thinking on his part. He’s worried that all she’s seeing when she looks at Jared is his outward appearance and she’s going to jump to conclusions about him. That he’s trash and that he’s corrupting her son. That’s how the old Donna would have reacted anyway, and it’s the last thing Jensen wants to happen. He’s anxious to try and help her see Jared in the best possible light.  
  
They take their seats amidst the professionally-styled décor of cool neutrals and rich mahogany. Jared and Jensen each take seats a respectful distance apart on the couch while Donna sits ramrod straight in a tufted chair across from them. Jensen’s father, Alan, is the high-powered prosecuting attorney in the family but right now she’s proving the fact that she has the capacity to be every bit as intimidating as he is. She just does it in Chanel.  
  
“How’ve you been, Mom?” Jensen asks, hoping to break the ice in the room a little. “You look great.”  
  
“Thank you, dear. I try.” She crosses her legs demurely, smoothing a tiny wrinkle in her khaki slacks. “And you, you look so…well, grown up, I suppose. I hardly recognized you you’ve changed so much.” Her gaze shifts to Jared. “As I’m sure you already know, Jared, it’s been quite some time since Jensen has been back to see us. You’ll have to excuse me for my surprise, but this is the first that I’ve seen of his new look.” She arches one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Are you a professional tattooer or is this something that you do as a hobby?”  
  
“He’s a professional,” Jensen says, jumping in on Jared’s behalf. “Actually he’s one of the best there is. He’s a famous artist in the tattoo industry. People have come to Austin from all over the world to just to have him work on them.”  
  
“Is that so?” she says, her eyes still fixed on Jared.  
  
“I wouldn’t call myself the best,” Jared hedges. “And I don’t pay much attention to whether or not I'm what people would call famous. That’s not why I do what I do. I just try to keep putting out good quality work that I believe in. My clients seem to respond to that.”  
  
“He’s being modest,” Jensen tells her. “He’s very talented at what he does.”  
  
“Is this the business you own together?” she asks Jensen with a slightly skeptical air in her tone. “A tattoo parlor?”  
  
“Yes. I started working there when I moved to Austin. It used to belong to our former boss, Jeff, but when Jeff relocated to California he gave the place over to Jared and became strictly a silent partner. Then Jared decided to buy him out and made me co-owner. That was about two and a half years ago now.”  
  
Something flickers in Donna’s eyes. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but from what you mentioned before it sounds like that was roughly the same time that you two began…spending time together more socially. Is that, right?”  
  
Jensen knows what she’s insinuating with her question and it’s nothing that Chad hasn’t said before but it still takes him by surprise. Chad is a moron but he’s their friend and every time he brought up Jensen sleeping his way to the top he was only joking about it. Donna Ackles doesn’t joke.  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jared says to her. “The timing worked out that way but one really had nothing to do with the other if that’s what you’re thinking. Jensen has always been the most reliable, hard-working, and professional member of my team. He’s got a better head for business than I ever have. Truth be told, he’s been helping me run things for a long time now without me even having to ask. He’s more than earned his place. I consider myself lucky to have him.”  
  
Jensen stares down at his shoes, shiny brown against the muted blue carpet. He can feel the tips of his ears burning pink from embarrassment. Jared’s complements mean a lot to him, even more so in light of where they are and who he’s saying them to. He didn’t need Jared to defend him or ask for him to, but he did it anyway and Jensen’s touched by the gesture. Still, he’s even more concerned now about Donna’s reaction. There’s a good chance she might not see it the same way.  
  
He looks up, half-expecting his mother to take insult at Jared’s impertinence but she doesn’t. Instead, she’s regarding him with a curious tilt of her head and the ghost of a smile on her lips, as if suddenly he’d become much more interesting to her. “Oh I hope you don’t think I was implying anything unseemly by my question.” She looks from one of them to the other, for all appearances as if she’s sincerely confused and contrite. “You know I meant nothing by it, don’t you dear? I would never dream of such a thing. I’m sure you’re very good at your job. And Jared, I’m sure you manage your business with the utmost professionalism. Forgive me if I offended you both, it wasn’t intentional. I was only trying to better understand.” She leans forward towards Jensen, meeting his eyes with an earnest expression of apology. “It’s just that I’ve heard so little from you, sweetheart. I want to know how you’ve been living your life all this time.”  
  
“No offense taken, Mrs. Ackles,” Jared replies easily.  
  
“Please, call me Donna.”  
  
Jared smiles. “Okay, then. Donna.”  
  
Both of them look at Jensen expectantly, and it takes a second for him to get over his shock and realize they’re waiting for him to say something. He’s not sure what the hell just transpired but he thinks his mother just extended Jared something close to an olive branch. Maybe she has changed after all?  
  
“Sure. Don’t worry about it, Mom,” he says. “It’s okay. It’s a little confusing, I guess. Jared and I were best friends for a long time before anything else. It’s more recently in the grand scheme of things that our relationship has become what it is now.”  
  
“Isn’t that nice,” she says with a smile. “I’m glad to hear that. I always think it’s better to start out as friends. It seems like people just rush into things nowadays without getting to really know each other.”  
  
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Jared replies in agreement. “I have a little sister back in San Antonio about Mackenzie’s age and I’m always telling her to pace herself when it comes to her boyfriends. Don’t start picking out china patterns before you know whether or not you can put up with his taste in music for the rest of your life.”  
  
“Exactly.” Donna says with a nod of ...was that approval?  
  
Jensen blinks at them, half-convinced that he’s dreaming this or maybe he’s somehow wandered into the Twlight Zone. He wants it to be true but he’s having a hard time believing it. It’s all going a little too easily. Just to be sure, he tries testing the waters with another question of his own.  
  
“So, where’s Dad?” he asks her. “Is he around or is he maybe on his way home?”  
  
Donna’s smile falters. “No, I’m sorry sweetheart but he’s not going to make it. At least not tonight. He’s got a big case that he’s working on. You know how that goes. He’ll be at the engagement party tomorrow.”  
  
“Sure.” Jensen knows. His father has always been doggedly devoted to his career, no matter how much time it required that he spend apart from his family. Even when he was home he wasn’t really there. He kept himself isolated behind the closed door of his study, oblivious to what was going on in his children’s lives. It pushed Jensen and his brother Josh to constantly compete for his attention, trying to outshine each other in their schoolwork and their extracurricular activities. Josh had been captain of the debate team and class president. Jensen had funneled his energy into excelling at sports. Mackenzie had contented herself with clinging to Donna instead, trying to be just like her in every way. Luckily for her she’d eventually grown out of that. Josh, on the other hand, had never stopped trying to be their father’s golden boy even long after Jensen had taken himself out of the running.  
  
“What about Josh?” he asks finally. “How’s he doing?”  
  
“He’s good. He and Alexis are coming over tomorrow to help us set up.”  
  
“Alexis?” Jensen hasn’t heard that name before but from the way his mother brought her up he can tell it’s someone he should know.  
  
“His girlfriend, Alexis Bitros. That girl is a _godsend_ , I swear. We’re having the party over at the club and as it happens the Bitros’s are members there too so she knows the layout. That’s the Canyon Creek Country Club,” she clarifies for Jared’s benefit. “Mackenzie made it clear that she didn’t want to make her engagement party a whole formal affair so we’re doing it in the Terrace Room. It has a nice little courtyard area but it is a tad small. They’ve promised that they can fit a hundred and twenty guests but I have my doubts.”  
  
Jensen’s head is spinning with all the information that his mother his so casually tossing out. A hundred and twenty people? Mackenzie had given him the impression that it was a small enough affair that they’d have plenty of opportunities to spend time with one another. And how long had Josh been seeing this girl Alexis that she seemed to have already become one of his mother’s trusted allies? It was a lot to process.  
  
“Oh, okay,” Jensen says, unsure. “I guess I assumed that I’d get to see everyone tonight, have dinner together or something. You know, since tomorrow is the party and Mackenzie is probably going to be pretty occupied with all those guests.”  
  
“I understand, sweetheart, but things are just so busy for your father right now. And Josh is trying to make partner…” Donna says, with a sympathetic expression. “Why don’t you go get checked in to your hotel? Mackenzie said for you to call her when you got into town and got settled,” she informs him. “I think she and Will have some kind of plan to take you both out with them tonight.”  
  
“What about you?” Jared asks her. “Will you be able to join us for dinner?”  
  
Donna smiles at him and Jensen recognizes it as her ‘ _bless your heart_ ’ expression. The one she uses on people she thinks are adorably slow.  "That’s so sweet of you to offer, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline.” She stands and smoothes a hand over her hair even though not a single strand is out of place. “Now, I hate to rush you boys out of here when you’ve only just arrived but I have a million and one little things that have to get taken care of before tomorrow. I’m sure you understand.”  
  
Jensen stands, a little taken aback. “Oh, um, alright then.”  
  
“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow then,” Jared stands up as well and offers her his hand again. “It was very nice meeting you, Donna.”  
  
She returns the handshake, her delicately-boned hand almost comically dwarfed by his Texas-sized paws. “Thank you, Jared. You too.”  
  
Donna ushers them out quickly but politely. There’s a slight pause at the doorstep for one last quick air kiss that just misses Jensen’s cheek and an affectionate pat on his shoulder but it all happens so abruptly that when the door closes behind them he’s still not really sure what just happened.  
  
He and Jared walk to the car and climb in. His mind is whirling but Jared is all smiles, completely sold by his mother’s little performance. “There, that wasn’t bad at all,” he says, fastening his seatbelt. He looks to Jensen. “What do you think?”  
  
Jensen shakes his head in a bit of a daze. “I don’t know. It seemed okay, I guess. It’s hard to tell with her sometimes. She’s the queen of mixed-signals.”  
  
“Oh.” Jared frowns, a little disappointed. “Well, maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt this time,” he suggests. He leans over and plants a kiss on Jensen’s temple. “Come on, let’s see if you can make good on that claim of forty-five minutes.”  
  
Jensen makes quiet grunt of agreement in his throat as he puts the car into reverse but his mind is distracted. There’s something off here. On the surface it might seem like Jared and Donna’s first meeting went relatively well but something about his mother’s pleasant and polite attitude is ringing false to him. He doesn’t think he imagined those little tells of hers, the tiny red flags that she wasn’t as comfortable with the two of them as she tried to pretend she was.  
  
It isn’t until he’s just about to pull out onto the street that he sees it but when he does he hits the brake hard.  
  
“Jensen?” Jared asks in alarm. “What’s happened?” He looks around, trying to figure out why Jensen stopped short. “Is everything okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen says tightly. He wants to reassure Jared but he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from what he’s seeing. Around the left side of the house where the top of his parent’s driveway circles back towards the garage he can just barely see the tail-end of a parked car. He knows it so well that he doesn’t need to see any more of it than that to recognize it on the spot. It’s a 1971 Mercedes Cabriolet convertible in hunter green – Alan Ackles’s pride and joy.  
  
The whole time he and Jared had been there his father had been home after all. He just chose not to come out and see them. And what’s worse, his mother had had to sit there and lie for him. That explained why she was so eager to get them out of the house. To Jensen it feels like a gut-punch.  
  
“You sure you’re alright?” Jared asks, sounding worried now. “Cause you don’t look it.”  
  
Jensen turns and looks at him, too ashamed to tell him the truth. “Yeah, I’m sure. It’s nothing. I just thought I saw something but I was wrong. Everything’s fine.”  
  
He pulls out of the driveway and heads towards their hotel as if nothing had happened. Gradually Jared relaxes and lets the moment go as well, apparently content to take Jensen at his word. By the time they reach the highway, they’ve got the radio on again and he’s on his smartphone searching local restaurants for a place to go with Mackenzie and Will later that night.  
  
Jensen makes the noises of agreement like he’s listening but for all he knows Jared could be reading the menus to him in Korean. He’s thinking about his mom and trying to figure out how much of the last half hour or so was for appearances sake and how much of it was real. He’s hoping that Jared is right and that he's just overthinking this. Maybe the few flashes of discomfort that he saw in her were only about having to cover for his father. He wants to believe that that’s the reason and that maybe she really has become more open minded and more generous with her feelings towards him. But still he can’t shake the memories of how things used to be.  
  
He decides right then and there that even if she hasn’t changed completely there was enough there to give him hope that she can be swayed with a little help. He’s going to do everything he can to show her and the rest of his family that he’s willing to make the effort to meet them halfway if they’re willing to do the same. He can even be the bigger person and forgive his father’s passive-aggressive avoidance. Things might have been bad between them in the past but he was a different person now. He might not have followed all the grand plans that his parents had once had for him but there are still plenty of things about him they can be proud of, and by extension, of Jared. Before the two of them met he was rudderless - lost. It was Jared’s influence on his life that got him to where is now; a healthy, self-confident man and successful small business owner with a good reputation in his community. He desperately wants his family to see that and appreciate how amazing Jared really is.  
  
He reaches out for Jared’s hand where it’s resting on his knee and twines their fingers together. The simple contact steadies him, just like it always has. Jared’s smile dimples at the corners.  
  
After all, how could anyone not love Jared once they got to know him?

 


	3. Chapter 3 Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Re-edited version chapter.

(Part 1 of 2)

It doesn’t take Jensen his predicted forty-five minutes to get the two of them checked into their room and get Jared naked. It takes him fifty-seven. But that’s only because the girl at hotel registration kept hitting the wrong keys in her computer. She was too damn busy drooling over Jared to do her job. Jensen found it mildly annoying. Jared on the other hand thought it was hilarious.  
  
“Sorry to break it to you, Jen, but you’re wrong,” Jared says with a smirk. “You must’ve not been paying attention ‘cause that girl didn’t even know I was there. Little Miss Front Desk only had eyes for you.”  
  
Jensen gets the last of his shirt buttons undone and looks up as he slides it off his shoulders. The sight before him is nothing short of stunning. Jared’s stretched out on their king-sized hotel bed as naked as the day he was born. His skin is a mosaic of colors and bold black lines against the downy white comforter. Jensen has had his hands on every inch of that gorgeous canvas, felt every contour and committed its landscape to memory. Somehow it still manages to take his breath away.  
  
“I promise you, no one’s looking at me when you’re around.”  
  
Jared smiles, slow and sinful. “I am. I always am.”  
  
Goosebumps prickle up the exposed flesh of Jensen’s arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end under the intense heat of Jared’s gaze. No one sees him like Jared does. That thick gruff exterior that he uses to hide all the complicated, messy, damaged parts of himself from the rest of the world - Jared has been able to see right through it since day one. It might have taken him a while to get used to the feeling, being so exposed and so vulnerable to another human being, but now it’s the thing that gives him strength. To be loved so unabashedly, so generously, and so completely; it’s a gift he’d never really experienced before until now.  
  
He’s on the bed before he can even get his pants off, too eager to get his hands on Jared to wait another second before he pounces. Jared laughs at him in pure delight but the sound of it is muffled. Jensen’s mouth is already there and devouring him like a starving man. He runs his hand down the cut of Jared’s hip, down one lean muscular thigh, and draws it up to wrap around his waist. He never was much of a leg man before but since Jared came into his life he’s become a real convert.  
  
Jared kisses his way to the edge of Jensen’s jaw and starts to nibble, dragging his teeth lightly over the scruff on his chin. The fingers of his right hand slide from the back of Jensen’s neck down to his nipple.  Jensen got them pierced last Christmas as a gift from Danneel, although who her gift was really intended for, him or Jared, is still up for debate. Jared rubs the pad of his thumb over it and hums his approval when Jensen sucks in a breath at the sensation. He knows exactly what it feels like since he has a set of his own but he never seems to tire of playing with Jensen’s like they’re the ignition buttons for Jensen’s dick. For his part, Jensen sure as hell isn’t complaining. The little sparks that zip straight down to his cock whenever Jared starts touching them are pretty damn effective.  
  
Jared tears his mouth away from Jensen’s skin. “Why the fuck are you wearing pants right now?” he demands breathlessly.  
  
“Social convention mostly,” Jensen says with a laugh. “Also because I left my kilt at the dry cleaners.”  
  
“If you’d actually wear a kilt I’d buy you one in a second. But you’d have to go traditional. That’s non-negotiable. No boxers, no briefs, all day long.”  
  
Jensen’s smile is a sly one, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth. He’d never go through with it. Well…probably not. Not at work anyway. But it’s fun to pretend. ”Easy access, huh?”  
  
Jared’s hands move to Jensen’s ass, kneading the firm rounds of it in his palms. “Hell yeah. You read my mind.”  
  
“Hmm…I could be persuaded to rock a kilt,” Jensen teases. He leans down, and whispering into Jared’s ear, he adds, “If you wear a plug for me.” He nips Jared’s earlobe lightly. “Easy. Access.”  
  
“Jesus Christ.” Jared shivers under him. His hips rolls up against the hard ridge in the front of Jensen’s jeans. “Off. Get these off right now.”  
  
Jensen sits up on his knees, straddling Jared’s thighs as he attacks the front of his pants. He’s just gotten his zipper open when his cellphone rings. It dances along the top the nightstand as it vibrates insistently.  
  
“Fuck.” Jensen lets his head fall back on his shoulders, sighing in frustration. “That’s probably my sister.”  
  
Jared whines and clutches Jensen’s thighs. He’s working that pleading puppy dog look of his for all it’s worth. “No. Come on. Just let it go to voicemail.”  
  
Jensen wants to, he really does, but the thing is they can have sex anytime. The whole point of them coming to Richardson was to see his family and he’s going to have precious little time with his sister as it is.  
  
“Sorry, I have to.” he says as he reaches for his phone.  
  
Jared huffs in annoyances and lets his hands fall from Jensen’s thighs as he picks up the call.  
  
“Hey, Mack.”  
  
“ _Hey!_ ” she answers cheerfully. “ _Where are you guys? Are you in town yet?_ ”  
  
“Yeah we’re here.” Jensen climbs off of Jared and sits next to him on the bed, mentally willing his erection away as he tries to focus on normal conversation. Which by the way is not at all easy since Jared has taken the opportunity to drive him insane by stroking his own cock in slow lazy pulls. “We’re at the hotel. Just came from seeing Mom.”  
  
“ _Oh man. How did it go? Better or worse than you expected?_ ”  
  
“It was…okay,” he replies hesitantly. He’s trying hard not to watch the motion of Jared’s hand but it’s a losing battle.  
  
“ _Yeah, I can imagine,_ ” Mack comments dryly. “ _What about Dad?_ ”  
  
Jensen shoots a glance up at Jared’s face, his smug little smile. He doesn’t want to get into specifics about their dad’s little stunt while he’s right there listening. “Yeah, fine,” he rushes on. “So are we going to see you and Will for dinner tonight? Mom said you had some place in mind.”  
  
“ _Now I know you’re bullshitting me. It could not have just gone fine with Dad_.”  
  
Jensen bites the inside of lip as a bead of precome wells up from the slit of Jared’s cock. Hopefully his sister will just take the damn hint and let him off the phone. “Yeah, anywhere you want is fine by us. We’re not picky.”  
  
“ _Okay, I get it. I’ll play along,"_ she relents _.  "But the minute we’re alone you are going to give me some details or else I swear to god I’ll bring my photo album and treat Jared to a public showing of Jensen Ackles: The Awkward Years. Remember when you had your hair frosted platinum blonde at the tips?_ ”  
  
Jensen remembers and he’s mortified just thinking about it. Jared will never let him live that one down. “Yeah, I remember,” he grumbles.  
  
“ _Good_ ,” Mack says triumphantly. “ _How about you two meet us in an hour? There’s this place off the parkway in Addison that I like. I’ll text you the address_.”  
  
“Alright. See you then.” Jensen hangs up before she can reply. He drops his phone and reaches for Jared. “You’re a fucking tease you know that?”  
  
Jared grins devilishly. "Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"  
  
There are a lot of things that Jensen would like to do about it. Two of the first ten he can think of off the top of his head involve handcuffs. But they don't have that kind of time, not if they both want to shower and change before dinner. Instead, he shoves Jared's thighs open wider and slides in between them on his stomach. He bats Jared's hands away, taking possession of his dick like he owns it. He licks a long slow stripe up the underside, eyes open and fixed on Jared's in a dirtyhot glare. Jensen flicks the tip of his tongue against that spot right where the top of the main vein meets the head. Precome weeps out of the slit, easing the way for his tongue to glide back down and start the trip up again.  
  
Jared shivers. His eyelids fall half-closed, entranced by the feel of Jensen's tongue, his lips, and finally his warm wet mouth closing around his cock. Jared's hands dig and twist fistfuls of the duvet cover, using it to anchor himself as he lets Jensen take over completely.  
  
Jensen takes him deep now, letting Jared's cock slide over the back of his tongue into his throat. He breathes through his nose, eyes watering just a little. He can feel Jared tense, straining not to thrust his hips up into the overwhelming sensation. He puts a hand on Jared's hip to anchor him and starts to suck in earnest, swallowing around Jared's length in little flutters of his throat muscles. He's rewarded with a loud groan of appreciation from Jared.  
  
"Fuck, Jen." Jared swears. "You trying to kill me?"  
  
Jensen ignores him, single-minded in his mission. His own dick is hard enough to cut diamonds by now and he desperately wants to come but he's going to finish dismantling Jared with his mouth first. He bobs his head up and down Jared's cock in shallower pulls now but faster, clutching his lips around it tighter.  
  
Jared thrashes his head against the bed, lost in the feel of it. His cheeks are flushed, sweat dampening the hair at this temples while the rest of it lays in a wild mess against the bed. He's a beautiful wreck and Jensen can't get enough of it.  
  
When Jared starts to come Jensen sucks hard, drawing the orgasm out of Jared's body greedily. Jared is still gasping, chest heaving with every breath when Jensen gets up on his knees and finally frees himself from his pants at last. He watches Jared watch him as he strips his cock, racing towards climax. Jared licks his lips, eyelids drooping in a drowsy pleasure-filled haze. He draws his legs up on either side of Jensen and scoots down the bed a little closer to him, close enough that he can graze the front of Jensen's denim-covered thigh with his fingertips. "Come on, baby" he murmurs, knees shamelessly wide open and exposed for Jensen. His cock lays wet and spent on his belly. "Come on me."  
  
Jensen bites his lip and does what he's told. He leans slightly forward so that the thick hot spurts paint Jared's lower stomach, his cock, and drip over his balls. The sight of Jared, a post-orgasm mess covered in come is so fucking hot that Jensen can barely process it. He tucks his dick back into the top of his boxers and sits back on the bed to appreciate the view.  
  
"Damn," he says, his breath a little shaky. "Just...damn".  
  
Jared chuckles. "Yeah." He slides his legs flat down against the bed again, letting his muscles go pleasantly lax.  
  
Jensen goes to the bathroom and grabs a damp washcloth for Jared. He lays down next to him while Jared cleans himself up, content to rest a little while his heart-rate slows back to normal. It stuns him sometimes how he ever lasted being friends with Jared for so many years before they ever became lovers. And that when they finally did, it was better than he could have ever imagined - physically and emotionally. Man, if he had only known then what he'd been missing out on.  
  
"I love this." he says, speaking his thought out loud as they came to him without filter. "I mean, you know I love you. That's a given. Right?"  
  
"Yeah," Jared replies, amused. He chucks the used washcloth through the open bathroom doorway. It makes a soft plop on the tile floor and Jensen is so blissed out he doesn't even make Jared go pick it up.  
  
He continues, riding the endorphin high. "Yeah. But, its bigger than that. I fucking love US. Me and you together." Jensen gestures broadly. "We're good, you know. We're...solid. We have a good solid life." He doesn't know what point he's trying to make exactly or who he's making it for, but it the moment for some reason it feels important to say. "You know what I mean?"  
  
"Yeah," Jared says simply. He gives Jensen's bare chest a quick pat, then gets up and extricates himself from the rumpled bed. "I got the first shower". He heads into the bathroom and starts the water running.  
  
Jensen was hoping for a little more enthusiasm than that. He can tell Jared's just pacifying him now but he feels so good he doesn't care.  
  
"Yeah," he sighs to himself contentedly. All good.  
  



End file.
